Tokyo

My exchange experience in Tokyo

Exchange semester in Sophia University, Tokyo

September 2017 - February 2018

My exchange semester in Tokyo was one of the most exciting and inspiring experiences in my life. I was born in Hungary and moved to Luxembourg when I was 12 years old, therefore I was familiar with the idea of moving to another place to live. Even though my exchange semester was quite short, it gave me the opportunity to explore a culture which always fascinated me since childhood.

When I got the chance to apply for Sophia University in Tokyo, I didn't hesitate and it was my first choice on the list. I was thrilled to be accepted there as it is one of the most prestigious universities in Tokyo and in Japan. Being in such an elite environment was quite humbling, as I was confronted by my luck and chance to be there, where many had only entered with hard work and competition.

During my stay, I decided to explore the city as much as I can, while living on a budget and studying hard for the amazing courses which I attended. I took Japanese classes to be able to communicate with my environment outside the university context. Sending of a package from the post office without using any other language than Japanese (with occassional body language and nods) made me realize my progress, compared to my very basic language knowledge from animes when I first set foot in Japan.

I was the most surpised when suddenly I started to understand what my strictly Nihongo-only speaking dormitory-mother was saying to me.

I met many great people who were in a similar situation as I and also many Japanese students. I felt different and I was different, but I was not alone in being different. Like any other Tokyoite, I suffered through the crowded wagons of the rush-hour metro, went to the kombini to buy my groceries and went to the restaurant - alone.

Tokyo is a metropolis, which can sometimes be overwhelming and solitary in the same time. It is completely accepted to do things alone, such as going to the restaurant or to the movies (I guess, I don't know for sure, but I did it anyway, because I really wanted to see a Japanese movie). This helped me to discover many new things about myself and this city was to perfect place to help me learn what truly is important for me as an individual. In the same time, Tokyo made me realise that my environment which I thought was already vast, is truly just a drop in the ocean: there is so much more out there to explore and to learn, not only places, but people and stories too.

The course I have taken in Sophia University were:

Contemporary Japanese Fiction

Fuminori Nakamura, Evil and the Mask

Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

Haruki Murakami, A Wild Sheep Chase

Hiromi Kawakami, The Nakano Thrift Shop

Hiromi Kawakami, Strange Weather in Tokyo (Sensei no Kaban)

Murakami Ryu, In the Miso Soup

Yoko Ogawa, Revenge

Yoko Ogawa, Hotel Iris

Yoshimoto Banana, Kitchen

Yoshimoto Banana, Newlywed